THE TASK:
A STIMULUS QUOTE:
·Education
conveys to the young, responses to the most profound questions of life -
questions of truth and falsehood, of beauty and ugliness, or good and
evil. These affirmations may be expressed in what an education fails to
do as well as in what it does, in what it rejects as well as in what it
adopts. Education may serve any cause… it may serve tyranny as well as
freedom, ignorance as well as enlightenment, falsehood as well as truth,
war as well as peace, death as well as life. It may lead men and women
to think they are free even as it rivets upon them chains of bondage(Ireland, Edlin & Dickens, 2004, p. 7).
Part 1 (40%) (1200 words)
Draft your Own personal dynamicPhilosophy of Christian Education(or
where appropriate- alternate worldview). This document could be
included in your future employment applications and referenced in your
programming. You should justify for your position from the literature
IN THIS SUBJECT using appropriate referencing and bibliography and you
should specify the educational context for which your work has been
prepared (Graduate Stage: 7.1.1; 7.2.1; 7.3.1; 7.4.1).
Part 2 (60%) (1800 words)
Draft your ownPedagogical Approach.As
a means of explaining aspects of your principles for pedagogy, discuss
the following teaching and learning methodologies: general principles
for classroom instruction and teaching; assessment and reporting
approaches; the importance of keeping accurate and reliable records;
behaviour management styles; and feedback strategies that you prefer.
Explain why you have rejected alternative approaches. Ensure that your
arguments are referenced by including a full APA 7 styled reference list
(Graduate Stage: 2.1.1; 2.5.1; 3.1.1; 3.3.1; 3.7.1; 4.3.1; 5.4.1;
5.5.1).
THE HEART OF THE TASK
Below is a summary:
Keep to the main themes and work them through.
Remember this is a competency task on the material from the course. It is in lieu of giving you an end of subject exam.
You could demonstrate strong competency by remembering and using some of the ‘big themes’ we have explored in the course.
That is:
Teaching is a about the proper relationship between
content and process
– and you could contrast
21stcentury education with sequential core knowledge,
and note what you would do – remember the Wiltshire and Donnelly chapter for your first essay, with reference to the
loss of Judeo-Christian focus i
n the curriculum? You can use that in this one as well. Also remember the last part of the course where we explored
justice and mercy
in classroom practice (discipline, assessment).
You can explain the proper relationship between
instruction and teaching
, as per Augustine and the George Knight article;
What
worldview [Biblical theory]
is
being expressed in your philosophy? How is that carried through into
your pedagogy, in any of the detailed areas? How might that contrast to
other world views?
The Justice and Mercy relationship
can help with a number of areas you explain – dealing with discipline, and assessment; and
How do we remember –
rehearsal and meaningfulness /
engagements towards commitment learning as well as competency learning.
Using these themes by applying them is the heart of the task.
FURTHER SUPPORT NOTES FOR THIS TASK
If
you go back to the second assessment task, you will remember that will
outlined in some detail a suggested way to dissect an assessment task.
It revolved around the following aspects of completing your task:
·What is the Content for the Task -we suggested going through and identifying each noun so that you understand what content is required of you;
·What is the Action for the Task -this is about slowing down enough to see what verbs describe what you should do with what you know;
·Other Information -justifying your ideas from the literature (there is lots in the course - use it well) is important for both sections;
·Key Resources -this
is an end point task, so using key references from each topic would
demonstrate that you are competent to engage with the core ideas from
the course;
·Assessment Rubrics -
notice the personal philosophy (notice the elements also listed in the assessment rubric) is worth 40%;
the teaching strategies (pedagogy) 25%;
approaches to learning goals (also with elements listed - this is also part of your pedagogy) 25%;
and your APA7 presentation (10%).
RESOURCES to demonstrate COMPETENCY
There
have been many articles during the course that have invited you to
reflect theologically and philosophically about teaching and learning.
Ensure you quote these references
in supporting your ideas in both parts of this task.
WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?
Here
are suggestions from each tile as they relate to the assessment rubric
domains of (a) personal philosophy (b) pedagogy and (c) approaches to
learning goals. The last two segments (b and c) relate to the second
part of the task.
TILE ON HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT -
some of these core ideas may involve helpful language for you to use in
your philosophy - e.g. the theistic vs non-theist ways of looking at
life and education (Poplin); the use of Biblical theory to construct
your key principles (Watkin); the commitment to and ways of integrating
faith into teaching practice - for both parts of the task -
whatiflearning...
TILE ON SOME HISTORY - do any of these
theories provide professional language with which to talk about your
philosophy and / or pedagogy?
TILE ON STRATEGIES - what might
Donnelly and Wiltshire's review suggest to you about how to manage the
relationship between content and process = sequential knowledge and
process focussed education (and this article covers both philosophy and
practice); the 'what works well in practice' and the Sweller article
have much to say about pedagogy and learning goals
TILE ON
CURRICULUM - Pazmino helps to define what you might mean by curriculum
(philosophy) and impacts that might have on pedagogy; Hopkins, Donnelly,
and Hirsch all have things to say about how philosophical commitments
then run into emphases in practice
TILE ON PROGRAMMING - how
might the above considerations have an impact on what kind of
programming you might prefer in what contexts?
TILES 6 TO 10 -
how might these contextual issues have an impact on your learning goals
and pedagogy - sociocultural factors, national priority areas, working
in difficult contexts, assessment and work preparation?
PLUS THERE ARE THE 10 CORE READINGS FROM YOUR WEEKLY READING FORUMS!
YOU MUST USE AUGUSTINE, DOWSON AND CAIRNEY FROM THESE READINGS, AS WELL AS THE ONES BELOW.
HERE ARETHE OTHER MINIMUM COURSE ARTICLES YOU MUST REFER TO AND USE
IN
THIS TASK: note that you can use one of these resources more than once.
Also, you may include other articles from the shells as well as these.
Mary Poplin - worldview
Christopher Watkin - Biblical theory
Harro Van Brummelen - metaphors for teaching
Fyson - character
Hitchens' - dangerous idea of Jesus
Wiltshire and Donnelly - trends in Australia
CESE - best practice
Sweller - sequential core knowledge
NSW Quality Teaching Framework
Pazmino - curriculum as a Christian
John Hopkins - what we teach mattersOR Hirsch on Why Knowledge Matters
At least one of the frameworks from the tile on Planning and Programming
Use at least one of the references or quotes on the Sociocultural tile
Fyson - justice and mercy
Refer to at least one of the policies or principles in the last tile on teacher work-based awareness and skills
REMEMBER -
You must use the key literature from the course!
And -
Contact your lecturer sooner rather than later if the task is not making sense to you!
Grace and peace.
The Education Team
·Some Biblical references thatmay be relevant to yourphilosophy of Christian Education - Major Project:
God
is the basis for all truth (Luke 11:52). Each child is to be respected
because they are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We are all
broken (Genesis 3; Romans 3:23) The primary responsibility for the
education of children rests with parents (Deuteronomy 6:7, 8; Genesis
17:7; Proverbs 22:6). However, the Christian school and the church
provide complementary roles in educating students for lives of
fellowship with God and service to others (Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm
78:4, 5). Service to others inside and outside the classroom contributes
to the development of each student's talents and abilities (I
Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 2:8-10). Excellence in the
quality of education offered to children brings glory to God and
provides a compelling witness to our neighbours (Philippians 1:9-11;
Colossians 3:23). The goal of Christian education is to develop students
who will serve God and impact their community and the world by thinking
and acting Biblically in all areas of life (Romans 12:2; Matthew
22:34-40).